German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius plans to strengthen the operational readiness of the Bundeswehr, the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Germany.
This is reported by Zeit Online
"We must be ready for war by 2029. We must ensure deterrence to prevent the worst," he said, referring to the threat from Russia.
The official believes that the Bundeswehr needs finances, materials and personnel to improve its condition. One of the needs of the army is a new form of military service, which cannot be "completely free of obligations."
The German federal government suspended compulsory military service in 2011. Therefore, it is now expected that Boris Pistorius will soon present proposals for the possible re-introduction of such an obligation.
At the same time, the Minister of Defense of Germany noted that neither he nor his country is considering the possibility of sending German soldiers to Ukraine.
As Politico previously noted, there are currently 181,000 servicemen in the German Armed Forces, and by 2031 it is planned to increase the number to 203,000.
- Against the background of Russiaʼs protracted war against Ukraine and the risks of a direct conflict between China and Taiwan, calls to prepare for a large-scale military confrontation are increasingly heard in Europe. In January 2024, the head of the NATO Military Committee called on the West to prepare for an all-out war with Russia. Meanwhile , the US will deploy nuclear weapons in the UK for the first time in 15 years due to the growing threat from Russia.